Soul Mates:

 

Do you know this woman?

 

Have you seen her before?

 

She wasn't someone I could of picked up out of a line up either not so long ago.  I knew her name, knew her by reputation, but she wasn't a household name at my house.  Even after watching the movie based on her book in the theatre several years back, I had only thought to myself..."I should read that book someday"...someday being the main word there.  Someday has finally come as it turns out. 

 

Over the years, I've quoted this woman warmly, however, until I read the book, I didn't realize just how much I'd fall in love with her outlook, her warm and witty ability to be brutally honest about her self and her shortcomings and with her book Eat Pray Love. 

 

She's a brilliant writer, and human inside and out, even if she doesn't always know it about herself.  You cannot read her book Eat Pray Love without seeing just how genuine of a human she is....or anything she writes for that matter...

 

Anyway, the reason for today's post is this:  Elizabeth Gilbert quite possibly is my 'soul mate'....not in the sense that most people think when they think of a "Soul Mate", but by a truer definition of the word.

Her definition.

 

These are Elizabeth's definitions:

 

“People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that's what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life."

"A true soul mate is probably the most important person you'll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake. But to live with a soul mate forever? Nah. Too painful. Soul mates, they come into your life just to reveal another layer of yourself to you, and then leave."

"A soul mates purpose is to shake you up, tear apart your ego a little bit, show you your obstacles and addictions, break your heart open so new light can get in, make you so desperate and out of control that you have to transform your life, then introduce you to your spiritual master...” 

Now before you think I'm creepy stalker HeatherLynn, let me say that her insights are just too beautiful not to be moved by, her honesty and willingness to really own up to her own shortcomings is admirable....and when I meet / learn of someone of her caliber, I can't help but to be excited and honored to have made the acquaintance.

 

So last week or so, I saw that she had started a facebook page....and I was like...woohooo....!!  The idea of getting a daily dose of whatever Liz is doing or what new discovery's shes made about life, or love, or the pursuit of happiness was just a breath of fresh air to imagine getting.  I could only dream of traveling the world as she does, meeting the amazing characters she has, experimenting...learning.....for the love of all that is holy, this woman spent 4 months on the "no carb left behind" diet in ITALY!  Who here can say as much?

 

I relate so much to her writing in EPL!  In so many ways.  Get this:  Liz was the same age as I am now when she wrote the book, she was about my age when she went through her divorce, she had all the same guilty feelings about wanting a divorce, and to top it all off, EPL was published on my birthday in 2006....what a gift huh?  Think it's a coincidence? *smiles*....I'm leaning towards not.

 

2006 was also the year that I moved out of my marital home.  I hadn't even read it, but after reading it, there's a big part of me that wishes I'd of read it sooner.  However, I know that in reading it now, it finds me wiser and more mature and ready to accept some of the more deeper messages the book as to offer.  Had I read it sooner, I'd of been too grief/guilt stricken to have not have dwelt on the divorce story line and not see the other very important insights that are bigger than divorce.  As so many things are, you just can't see the forest through the trees when you're in the thick of it.  Divorce can be thick, very, very thick.

 

While I read EPL....so many times I looked at the pages at something she wrote, I found myself nodding, and sometimes jumping up and pointing and saying out loud:  "ME TOOO!!!!!!!!!" looking astonished because she literally had ripped something out of my mind, or repeated a conversation I'd had nearly word for word and it just floored me!  How could there be a person, a virtual stranger in the world so close in soul-fiber that we were nearly made of the same fabric.

 

So anyway, I befriended her on facebook and sent her a message, and to my utter delight, she responded.  I thought I'd post our exchange here, mostly because I think it's so wonderful I wanted to share, but also, because I want to keep it here, with all my other thoughts, so as to never forget the extraordinary time, I spoke with someone who could open up my mind, my heart, my soul, and to do so in print, well, does it get any better than that?

 

Here it is:

 

Ok, ok, so I might of gushed a little....

I can't help it, when someone writes a book, and there are absolute CHAPTERS that you just don't "identify with" but you feel was ripped right out of your own brain/heart....it will have a pretty lasting effect on you.  Like somehow there's this other person walking the earth, a total stranger who thinks like you, and knows your secret thoughts, but not because you told them, but because they are their secret thoughts too.  It's weird, but cool.

Aren't books wonderful?!

What would the world be like without them?

 

So Liz, if you are reading this, thank you for existing, thank you for writing Eat Pray Love, I'll forever be grateful for having read it, and I look forward to reading additional books of yours in the future. 

AFTER I FINISH MY BOOK....

A girl's got to have priorities....

To think I've been 300+ pages into this 3rd book without being able to finish it is just ridiculous....

I tell myself often "FINISH IT ALREADY SLACKER!"

I keep waiting for that to motivate me..

*laughs*

So far, NOPE!  Not an inkling of inspirational grand finale has been generated in my meager brain.

 

*raises coffee mug*

Here's to tomorrow!

I don't have writer's block,

I have "writer's would rather be doing something else syndrome"!

Do they make an app for that?

(I have a smart phone now, can ya tell?)

 

Happy Monday to you, and you, and you!

(I'm fairly certain I have 3 readers)...and to those three readers....one being my mother...

Have a wonderful start to your week

 

Happily yours,

~HeatherLynn~